Signaling apparatus



N. H. SUREN SIGNALING APPARATUS April 3, 1928.

- Filed Sept. 6. 1924 INVENTOR A/atizan hf Saran ATTORNEY Patented I Apr. '3, 1928.

v 1,664,952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN H. SUREN, F NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GA'MEWELL COMPANY, OF NEWTON UPPER FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION Oil? mssmnamne arrana'rns.

Application filed September 6, 1924. SerialNo. 736,861.

are normally conditioned for metallic circuit operation and have provision for operation through a normally open ground return in the event of a broken metallic circuit.

Such signaling systems ordinarily comm prise a current source. manifesting mechanism, and a plurality of signal transmittin stations each having circuit-breaking an circuit-grounding mechanism as well as electromagnetically controlled non-interference mechanism. In such systems, switching means are commonly provided whereby the current source is normally connected, through the manifesting means, with the metallic circuit which includes thetransmittmg stations, and -whereby-in the event such circuit is disabled by breakage thereof- -one terminal of such current source may be grounded and the two ends of the normal metallic circuit connected in parallel through manifesting mechanism, with the other terminal of such source.

In order that the electromagnetic non-interference mechanisms of the transmitting stations shall enable signal formulation to be effected from any one of such stations when the metallic circuit is broken at one side or the other of such'. stations, such mechanism has been provided with two electromagnet windings arranged for serial connection in the normal metallic-circuit current-path, and a circuit controller comprising a pair of normally closed code signaling contacts are connected in such current path between the non-interference magnet windings; a grounding contact being associated with said circuit controller whereby both of the contacts of such controller may be grounded during each closureythereof incident to the formulation of a signal. In this way, provision is. made so that, in the event the normal metallic circuit is broken and the switching means associated with the current source is conditioned to ground one terminal of the current source and connect the other terminal of the current source to the ends of the normal metallic circuit in parallel.energization of the non-interference electromagnet will be eifectedat any actuated signal box because current flow through the grounding contact of such box will. pass through oneor the other of the electromagnet windings of the non-interference mechanism, and thereby cause such mechanism to function in the intended manner. I

For reasons well understood by those skilled in this art, the ground connections of suchtransmitting stations should be inefi'ective other than when such stations are set for the transmission of a signal and, to this end, circuit controlling means,-apart from the code signaling contacts-have heretofore been provided in such boxes for normallyjnterrupting the ground connections thereat and for closing such connections at signaling stations when set for signal formulation. An example of such circuit controlling means is shown in Patent No; 1,196,732, to Lewis Degen, dated August 29, 1916.

In signaling systems equip ed with signaling apparatus such as that met described, the mechanism of signal transmitting stations is likely to remain unused for long periods of time and, as a result, attempt to establish circuit connections between normally separated contact members may prove ineffective when first attempted, even when repeated actuations of such contacts would bring about an effective connection between them. Furthermore, for reasons well understood bvthose skilled in this art, it has been found very desirable to minimize the number of se arate places at which, breaks may be establlshed in vital signaling .paths, especially as to breaking points which stand normally open.

It is, therefore, an important object of this invention to provide signal transmittin mechanism, of the type referred to, in whic the arrangement of vital signaling current paths is such asjto minimize the number of places at which they may be interrupted, and in which the action of such mechanism inclosing normally open contacts will be so repeated that connections will thereby be rendered effective and improved after a plurality of actuations thereofi even when not fully effective upon initial actuation thereof.

In the use of signaling systems comprising signal transmitting stations with electromagnetic non-interference mechanism arranged as hereinbefore referred to, it has tioned during interruption of such path at one side or the other'of any such station. On the other hand, it has become customary, in such signaling systems, to accomplish one or the other of two results when such switching means is abnormally positioned; either ill grounding. the battery or other current sourceof the circuit midway (electrically) between its terminals so that one-half (if the 'total electromotive force of such source will be effective between either terminal and the I ground connection, or grounding one terminal of the current source and connecting both ends of the broken line through suitable receiving instruments to the ungrounded terminal of such source. in systems in which it has been attempted to restore operability of a broken line by grounding the electrical center of electromotive force of the current source, in accordance with the first of the arrangements just referred to, it has been found that it not infrequently happens that the partial electromotive forcethus available for signal transmission is inadequate. In this connection, it should be remembered that the electrical characteristics of many signaling circuits are such that the preponderance of'resistance is in the outside line;

so that, ifit so happens that a break occurs nearone end of the circuit, a mere half of the electromotive force needed for signaling over the entire circuit proves insuflicient for signaling to the most distant stations from an unbroken end of the circuit, such inadeguacy being materially supplemented by the act that the ground connections utilized under such emergency conditions are frequently of a resistance equal to a major fraction of the normal resistance of the entire circuit. Suggestions that. the emergency ground. connection at the current source be applied nearer to one termnal than the other (for the purpose of overcoming such a condition) have not proved-helpful, because the location of a break, relative to the normal potential gradient along the'circuit, is usually unknown to the operator having occaconditioned f0 sion to applysuch a ground connection, at the time a break occurs in the circuit. In systems in which such switching means accomplishes the second named one of theresults just referred to, it is obvious that when such switchin means remains abnormally lowing the repair of a break in'the normal ference mechanisms of such boxes fail to function in the intended manner and the transmission of their signals is not effected because'the only efiective current paths then metallic circuit, the non-inter through one of the electromagnet windings of the non-interference mechanism will be in reverse direction to that which occurs during normal metallic circuit operating conditions and, therefore, each of said windings tends to neutralize the other.

in other words, those attempting to establish a signal circuit which would afford facilities for maintaining service from noninterf'erence code signal stations, in the event of rupture oi'the'line wire, through the utilization of ground connections at such stations, have heretofore been confronted with the alternative of hazarding losses of alarms under either one or the other of two sets of circumstances, depending upon the arrangement of the switching means utilized in connection with the current source for bringing about restoration of service during broken line conditions.' \Vhen the socalled center ground arrangement has been applied to the current source, signals have been lost when the current path from the source toan actuated box included resistance greater than that through which signal transmission could .be dependably effected with but one-half of the normal voltage of the current source; and it has.

been found to be impracticable to effectively offset this danger by so increasing the normal potential of such a current source that one-half of such potential will suflice for effective signal transmission from a station, operating through the ground, from such portion of the circuit as to include practically all of the line wire between the current source and such station. The reason for such impracticability is that such increase should be to more than doublethe electromotive force needed for signal transmission under normal. circuit conditions (so as to provide for ground connection resistances) and an increase of such magnitude in electromotive force tends to objectionably affect the non-interference function because it involves a corresponding variation in line cur rent intensity between normal metallic. circuit conditions and those of alarm transmission through a ground connection. The ob- Ill) rnal efiective range of their magnets, and such effective range is so extended by using an electromotive force under normal circuit conditions which is double that needed for efiective signal transmission that such arma-' tures are likely to then so act in response to signaling closures from other stations as to defeat their intended function. If, on the other hand, the-ends of the broken circuit are connected to the ungrounded terminal of a grounded current source having sufficient potential to dependably effect the transmission of a signal over all or any portion of a normal signaling circuit, loss of signals will result in the event of the operation of any signaling station in such ciruit, following repair of the break therein, unless and until the switching means is operated to restore the current source to its normal series relationshipto the circuitl The opportunity thus afforded for loss of all signals from the circuit affected, quently assumes serious importance; as, for example, in the public fire alarm system 0 a comparatively small municipality. Such relatively small systems frequently are dependent upon the services of one man, both for supervision and, operation of controlling" switches at headquarters and for maintenance and repair of outside circuits; so that,

especially following'a severe storm, such a man may be engaged in outside line work for hours, after having visited headquarters and abnormally conditioned the switching means there provided; and, while so employed, will close all breaks which he finds in his circuits, thereby (sometimes without immediate realization that he is so doing) conditioning the outside lines of the circuits for resumption of normal metallic circuit operation.

In such systems, when constructed in accordance with the hereinbefore described prior art, such a man, upon closing the final break in any given circuit, must either neglect breaks'in other circuits while he goes to headquarters for the purpose of restoring normal circuit operating conditions in the circuit hev has closed or take the chance of losing a signal from some station of the circuit the breaks in which he has repaired, until he has repaired the breaks in other circuits. In this connection it should be remembered that abnormal conditioning of the switching means at headquarters will not, if there are two or more breaks in the circuit, restore operability to signaling stations situated in such circuit between those breaks, so that if such a man returns to headquarters cverytime he has reason to believe that he has closed a circuit, he may thereby incur the hazard of losing signals from any one of a larger number of stations for a longer time than if he remained away from headquarters until he had inspected the entire line and fre:

satisfied himself that he had repaired all cir cuit breaks.

It is, therefore, a further important object of this invention to provide non-interference mechanism for such transmitting stations which is so constructed and arranged as to assure intended functioning thereof both when the metallic circuit current ath' is open and when said path is closed, w ile the switch associated with the current source is abnormally positioned, as well as when the metallic circuit current path .isclosed and said switch is normally positioned.

Other objects are to simplify the apparatus of such transmitting stations, to render them more durable and more reliable in operation, and to facilitate and decrease the cost of manufacture of such apparatus.

.herent advantages, will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter specifically set forth. For the attainment of the foregoing ob jects, this invention consists of certain feaf ,tures of combination, form and. arrangement of parts which will be most readily understood by reference to the embodiment thereof described in detail by the following specification and shown in the annexed drawing, where like reference characters denote similar parts, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the signaling train of a well-known and widely used form of tire alarm signal box, in its case,

with an illustrative embodiment of this invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a signal circuit showing the manner of connecting the significant parts of the mechanism of Fig. 1

therein; the parts being shown as positioned when the circuit is conditioned for signal transmission through the ground path, and the non-interference magnet being shown as turned 90 from the position indicated by Fig. ,1, .so as to facilitate representations of the paths' of magnetic flux bet-ween the poles thereof;

Fig.3 shows the signal box parts of Fig. 2, in the respective positions assumed thereby during a circuit interruption incident to signal formulation thereby;

Fig. 4 shows the parts of Fig. 3 iii the respective positions assumed thereby during operation of the signaling train without control of circuit is controlled by some other box; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the non-interference clcctromagnet of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The signaling train of Fig. 1 may be briefly described as comprising a main wheel 21, arranged for actuation by'the spring 22 to drive the code wheel 23 at a speed gov- .erned by the escapcment mechanism 0111- prising the wheel 24 and pallet 25. A. detent member, comprising the lever 26, is arranged to cooperate with the flange 27 carried by the wheel 21 in the usual manner, so that said mechanism is normally held at rest and so thatmomentary elevation of said' lever will condition said train to permit a desired cycle of the operation thereof in the courseof which said wheel 21 will so rotate as to cause a suitable number of revolutions of the code wheel 23, and hence rounds of the intended'signal; following which said "ever may move downwardly to its normal position and thereby cause the train to be again brought to rest, unless such movement of said lever is the manually operable, so-called pull handle 28, which is provided for facilitating actuation of the lever 26 to release the mechanism, or by other means such'as will be presently described. 7

The signaling lever 29 is pivotally supported at 30, andcarries the projection 31 for cooperation with the code wheel 23. The tail 32 'is carried by and moves with said lever 29; the free end of said tail bingarranged for cooperation with the pin 33 carried by the wheel 21 for holding said lever 29 away from said code wheel when the mechanism is at rest and, immediately after the starting thereof, until the first tooth or projection of said wheel has moved into the path of said projection 31.

The lever 40 is pivoted at 41 and carries the armature 42 at an end thereof. The opposite end of said lever40 carries a rearwardly extending projection 43 for coo eration with the pin 44 carried-by the w eel 45 which rotates with the code wheel 23. As indicated by the dotted line directly above the left hand edge of thepin 44, said projection is so formed that, when the lever 40is in the position which it occupies When the armature 42 is in fully attracted position, said pin may pass to the right of said projection; and said projection extends to the left of said dotted line coextensively with the contour of the lever 40, as shown, so thatwhen said lever is in the position which it occupies when the armature42 is in fully retracted position, said projection will be disposed within the are described by the revolution of said pin around the axis of the wheel 45 and will thus avoid engagement thereby, and so that when said lever occupies an intermediate position, to which it may be moved as hereinafter more fully explained, said projection will be in the path of said pin for engagement thereby to move said lever to carry the armature 42 to its normal attracted position.

The pin 46 is carried by the lever 40 in such position as to be adapted for cooperation with the free end of the detent lever 26 as hereinafter more fully explained, and the retractile spring 47 is suitably connected with said lever 40 and is of suchstrength as to prevent movement of said lever in reprevented by manipulation of sponse to the. pull of the electromagnet when the armature 42 is in fully retracted position.

The si aling contacts .48 and 49 a're'arranged. oractuation in the usual manner by the signaling lever 29; and the usual protective shunt contacts 51. and 52 are carried by the insulating .blocks 53' and54, respectively; said block 53 being fixed upon the frame plate and said block 54 beingso mounted upon the lever 26 that when-said lever is positioned for restraining operation of thesignaling train the contact 52 will engage the contact 51 and when said lever is positioned to permit operation of said train said contacts will be separated.

The faces 55 and 56 and the shoulder 57 are so formed in the free end of the lever 26 that, when said lever is positioned for restraining operation of the signaling train,- said face 55 will so engage said pin 46 a's-to -pre ventmovement of the lever 40 from attracted to retracted position; said .face56 is so positioned that movement of the detent lever 26 from its fully elevated position toward the position where it will cause the running of the signaling train to be arrested 46 to so move the lever of the pin 44; and the shoulder 57 is so positioned that, when the pin 46 is rest-mg againstthe face 55,,said shoulder will ongage said pinduring movement of the detent lever 26 away'fromits fully elevated position before such movement has proceeded to a point such as will cause the running of the signaling train tobe arrested.

A pin 58 is carried by the'armature lever 40 in such relationship to theextension 59. forming part of the signaling lever 29 that said signaling lever may assume the position which permits the'contact'48 to move away from the contact 49 only while said armature is in its normal or attracted position, and such that said armature lever will be permitted to move to its abnormali or retracted position only while the contact 48 is in engagement with the contact 49.

The signal transmitting apparatus thus far described is the signaling train of a well-known form of so-called perfect noninterference and succession fire alarm box, and is here shown and described as typifying one of the forms of signal transmitting apparatus to which this invention may be applied, and it will be understood by those skilled in this art that this invention is suited for corresponding or similar application to other forms of signaling trains.

. In applying this'invention to the signaling train hereinbefore described,-an anomalous magnet, generally indicated by the number 100,is cooperatively associated with the armature 42, and the grounding contact is arranged for cooperative association I hereinafter more fully set forth.

The electromagnet 100 comprises three parallel legs or cores 101, 102, 103 (see Figs.

2 and 5), the strap 104 which magnetically connects one end of each of said cores with an adjacent end of the others thereof, and the windings 105 and 106 which are applied to the cores 101, and 102, respectively. The core 103 passes upwardly from the strap 104, past the adjacent ends of the windings 105 and 106, thence parallel to the cores 101 and 102, between and slightly'above the peripheries of said windings, past the opposite ends thereof, thence downwardly between the ends of the cores 101 and 102, as best shown in Fig. 5. The free ends of all three of said cores are situated adjacent the normal or attracted position of the armature 42, so that said armature may be retained in such position by energization of said mag net; said windings being so proportioned that intended current flow through either one thereof willcause cflective energization of said magnet. F

One end of the winding 105 'is connected through the conductor 107 to the signaling contact 48, andacorresponding end of the winding 106 is connected through the conductor 109 to contact 49. The remaining end of winding 105 is connected through conductor 111 to protective shunt contact 51 and the remaining end of winding 106 is connected through conductor 114 to main line terminal post 112.

The main line conductors 116 and117 are connected to the line terminal post 112 and the protective shunt contact 51, respectively; and'a conductor 118 connects said post 112 with the protective shunt contact 52.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a.-

signaling current path is provided from the post 112, through conductor 114, winding 106, and conductor 109 to signaling contact 49, thence through said contact, and contact 48, conductor 107, windingx 105 and conductor 111 to the junction t ereof at contact 51 'with conductor 117; and that, when the detent lever 26 is normally positioned, a. low resistance or a shunt path is through provided in parallel with said signaling path fronrsaid post 112, through conductor 118, protective shunt contacts 52 and 51 to said conductor 117.

It. will also be apparent that the electromagnet 100 is so constructed and arranged that current flow through the windings 105 and 106- may serve ,to cause either usual twopole or anomalous three pole magnetization thereof dependent upon the relative directions of flow in said: windings. For example, when 'the direction of current flow in the winding 105 bears a certainpredeterindependently of the signaling mined relationship to-that in the winding 1%, magnetism of opposite polarity will be developed at the free endsof the cores 101 and 1 2, and the. resultant magnetic flux will pass through the armature 42 from one to the other of said cores, and thereby tend I relationship to that through said winding 106, magnetism of like polarity will be developed atthe free ends of the cores 105 and 106, so that the magnetic flux will pass between one and the other of said poles and the core or leg 103 (see Fig. 2), both through the armature 42 and through the strap 104, and thus correspondingly serve to retain the armature 42 in attracted position. It will likewise be evident that the effectiveness of such magnetization will not be dependent upon the relationship of the intensity of current flow through the windings 105 and 106, as the pull resultant from-current flow through one of said windings always supplements that of current flow through the other of said windings irrespective of relative differences in either or both strength and direction thereof. In the event of current flow through but one of the windings 105 and 106, the resistance of the magnetic circuit will be at minimum, because the resultant lines of force may then pass in parallel through the core 103 and the core 101 or 102 which is not then energized. For example,'when there is .current flow through the winding 105, but none through the winding 106, the lines of force passing between the free end of the core 101 and the armature 42 may pass between said armature and the strap 104 through the cores 102 and 103, in parallel. The contact is carried by but insulated from the governing lever 76, which lever is pivoted at 30 in common with but moving lever 29. For convenience, this contact will be hereinafter referred to as a grounding contact, 7 although it should be understood that this contact might be connected with a conductor other than the ground, and that the term grounding contact is therefore intended to include any similarly arranged contact as well as any contact provided for governing any branch current path under conditions analogous to those hereinafter described in greater detail. The spring 77 is so applied to the lever 76 as to ten to so swing same around the pivot 30 as to carry the contact 75 into endicated by dotted lines in jection is so situated with relation to the in the position which it assumes while the signaling train is at rest, the contact 75 will be situated somewhat above the path of the cycles of movement imparted to the contact 48 by the signaling lever 29; so that when said detent lever 1s in the position which it occupies during the running of the train, said sleeve will permit the lever 76 to so swing on its pivot 30 as to carry the contact 75 somewhat into the path of such cycles of movement of the contact 48, and so that said sleeve will serve to arrest the movement of said lever 76 after it has carried said contact 75 downwardly, in engagement with and during the portion of the cycle of the movement ofsald contact 48 in which the contact 49 moves downwardly in engagement therewith, so that, when at the lower end of its said 0 cle of movement, said contact 48 will be substantiall equidistant from the contacts 49 and 75. In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the sleeve 78 has inserted through it the terminal screw for the shunt contact 52, the outer end of the sleeve being counterbored to receive the head of the screw and projecting forward a suflicient distance to bring the sleeve within the path of movement of the cooperating end of thelever 76. A pin or stud of non-insulating material if carried by an insulating block, such as the block 54, movable with the detent lever 26 and positioned so as to similarly cooperate with the end of the lever 76, could -be substituted for the insulating sleeve 78.

At the opposite end of the lever 76 there is a rearwardly extending Fprojection 79 (inig. 1) which propin 46 that, when the lever is so positioned that the pin 58 is in the path of movement of the extension 59 and the armature 42 is out of the eflective range of the magnet 100, said pin 46 will hold said lever 76 in such position as to support the contact out of the path of the movement imparted to contact 48 by the signaling lever 29 and so that when said lever 40 is in its normal position, the movement of said lever 76 in response to the spring 77 will be limited only by the sleeve 78 and the contact 48. n Fig. 2 diagrammatically indicates the manner of connecting the signal mechanism of Fig. 1 in a typical signaling circuit comprising a battery A, an emergency switch B, and electromagnets C and C" for the control of suitable responsive instruments.

The switch B consists of the arms 91 and 92, which are connected by the yoke 93 and cooperate with the contacts 94 and 95; the terminals of battery A being connected to said contacts 94 and 95, respectively; the switch arm 91 being connected to the ground, the switch arm 92 being connected to one' contact 95 -bein connected to one windin of the magnet The conduct0rs'117 an 116 are connected throu h suitable line wires with the remaining win ings of the magnets C and C", res ectively; and unding contact 75 of the slgnal transmittlng mechanism is connected to the ground through conductor 175.

Under normal conditions the switch B is positioned as indicated by dotted lines in Fi 2, thus conditioning the circuit for socal ed all metallic operation. The operation of a signaling train such as that of Fig. 1, while the circuit is normally conditioned as just described, is substantially the same as that of a well-known type of erfect noninterference and succession fire a arm si aling box, which is well understood by t ose skilled in this art, and will therefore not be here described in detail. W5. 5

In the event that the normal all metallic current path is broken-as by rupture of conductor 116 or conductor-117warning will be given by the instruments controlled by the magnets C and C" and, in accordance with usual practice intsystems using circuits such as that indicated, the attendant will thereupon move the switch B from the dotted line position to: the position indicated by full lines, thereby grounding one terminal of battery A and connecting conductors 116 and 117 in parallel to the other terminal of said battery.

When connected in a circuit conditioned as just described, the operation of the si naling mechanism of Fig. 1when set in motion by the actuation of the pull handle 28is as follows:

Detent lever 26 will be elevated, thereby moving contact 52 awa from contact 51 so as to break the protective shunt around the windings of the electromagnet 100. Such movement of the" lever 26 will also raise the insulating sleeve 78 far enough to permit the lever 76 to move in response to the spring 7 until the contact 75 is brought into engagement with the contact 48, thereby causing energization of, the electromagnet 100 through one or the other of current paths as follows: Assuming that conductor 117 isbroken there will be a current path from one terminal of battery A, through contact 95 and arm 92 of switch B, through windings of magnet C and conductors, 116

and 114 to one end of winding 106, thence through said winding and through conductor 109 and contacts 49 and 48 to contact .75,

thence through conductor 175 and through the ground to arm 91 of switch B, thence through said arm and contact 94 of said switch to the other terminal of battery A. Such current flow through the winding 106 winding of the magnet o' lma theswitch will so energize the magnet 100 as to hold the armature 42 against retraction when the 4 ment in response upon deenerg-ization of the magnet 100.

face is withdrawn from the path of the )in 46, so that the intended code signal-will ried thereby into the path of the projection 31 of the signaling lever 29 and, thereupon, the pin 33 will be withdrawn fro'mthe path of the tail 32 of said signaling lever, so as to no longer prevent said lever from following the outline of said code wheel. If-the clectromagnet 100 remains energized "until the first tooth of the code-wheel- 23'iswith drawn from the path of thelprojection 31,

the signaling lever 29 will be moved down wardly in response to the tension of the contact 48, and said contact will thereupon move away from the contacts 49 and thereby interrupting the current path through magnet C and magnet 100. Upon such circuit interruption, such responsive device as maybe controlled by magnet C will actin' response thereto,'but the armature 42 will not be permitted to move away from the magnet 100 because the downward movement of the'signalin'g lever 29 incident to the circuit interruption, carried the ex-. tension 59 thereof intothe path of the pin 58 and thereby held the lever 40 from moveto the retractile spring 47 The relative positions of the signaling contacts during such a circuit break vare indicated by Fig. 3, and it will be understood that the circuit will be alternately closed and broken in accordancewith the'outline of the code wheel 23 so as to correspondingly cause the manifestation of the intended code signal by such device as may be arranged for response to the magnet C.

it will be noted that du'ringeach-of' the movements of the contact 48 in alternately breaking and closing the circuit, as just described, there will be relative movement between the cooperating portions of said contact 48 and the grounding contact. 75

till

till

during engagement thereof, such as will tend to assure effective electrical connection therebetween.

After a predetermined cycle of the operation of such train (usually four so-called rounds or revolutions of the code wheel 23) the detent'lever 26 will return to its normal position and thereby move the lever76 to the position in which thecontact 75 is raised above the contact 48f The train will thereafter be brought to rest as soon as the wheel 21 has reached the position which causes the pin I of the escapement path of movement of the 33 to engage the tail 32 of the signaling lever 29, and therebycause said lever to move the signaling contact 48 to its normal'position. It willrbe noted that because such movement of'said contact will not bring same into encircuit willbe left open, so that the magnet C- may respond to the'sig'nal of any box situated in the'circuit between that whose operation has just been considered and the point where said circuit-is ruptured' Had the break in the circuit resulted from rupture of conductor 116-instead.of that of conductor 117, as in the case just. considered in detail, the "operation of the various parts would correspond with that just described, except :that the current flow would be through the electromagnet C and the winding 105, instead ofthrough electromagnet-C and thewinding'106.

Should a signaling; mechanism, I such as that'shownin Fig, 1, be set in motion while connected in acircuit such as that indicated by Fig; 2, when the-switch B conditioned as therein-shown by solid lines, but when, 11'1-v stead of one 'orthe other sides of the mesuch circuit were .intact,'when the detent lever 26'was raised, in response to the manipulation of the pull handle 28, current would gagement with the contact 75; the signaling .tallic circuit being ruptured, both sides of flow from one terminal of the battery A to contact of the switch B; and from thence" through two paths one of which would include the switch arm 92, the windings of electromagnet C,- conductors 116 and 114,

winding106 and conductor 109, through contact '49 to contact: 48,'-,and' the other of which paths from contact 95 of switch. B

would include the windings of electromagnet' C", conductors 117 and '111, winding 105.

and conductor 107, to contact 48; from contact 48-the two current paths would combine,

passing through contact 75, conductor 175' and the ground to arm 91 of switch B;

thence through said arm andycontact 94 to v the other terminal of battery A. It will be noted that, without this invention, such current flow through the windings 105 and 106 in parallel relationship ginstead of normal series'relationship) woul cause one of said windings to substantially neutralize the magnetization produced by the other thereof, so that the non-interference armature would be withdrawnfrom the magnet by the pull of the spring 47 and thereby cause the loss of the intended signal; while the arrange-v ment of the cores 10 1, 102 and 103 with relation tothe windings105 'and 106 causes.

magnetic flux between the poles of the magnet 100, as diagrammatically indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,. whereby the armature 42 (and hencev thenon-interference mechanism controlled thereby) will be caused to respond to the; anomalous three pole magnetization incident to current flow through windings 105 and 106 in parallel, with effectiveness substantially equal to that with which said armature responds to the usual two pole magnetization incident to current flow through said windings in series. In the-event that two signaling mechanisms, such as that of Fig. 1, are simultaneously set in motion while connected in a circuit such as that of Fig. 2 when the switch B is positioned as indicated by dotted line so as to condition the circuit for normal all metallic operation,-the non-interference mechanism of one or the other of the signaling trains of such signal mechanisms will act in the usual manner to so govern the effectiveness of the operation of the circuit controller thereof as to relinquish the control of such circuit thereby and thus permit the formulation of the signal of the other of such boxes. To this end," the circuit controller and non-interference .mechanism of such relinquishing mechanism will become positioned as shown by Fig. 4,-the signalinglever 29 being supported in elevated position by the pin-58 which issituated under the extension ,59 because the armature 42 is in retracted position. Such elevation of the signaling lever 29 will maintain the circuit controller contact 48 in enga ement with the contact 49, and the pin 46 will support the lever7 6 in such position as to preventmovement of the contact 75 into engagement.

with the contact 48. It will therefore be apparent that when the signal mechanism of any station relinquishes control'of the signaling circuit, under conditions suchas just described, the rounding contact of such station will be he d out'of engagement with the main line contacts thereat, so that such grounding contact cannotcooperate with that of the signaling mechanism of any other station (or with aground contact at headquarters) to cause interference with or mutilation of the controlling signal.

When the armature 42 has moved to its retracted position, as just described, it will re-' main in such position until the end of a predetermined cycle of operation of the signaling train whereu on the lever 26 will move away fromits ully elevated position, During such movement of the lever 26', the face. 56 thereof will so engage the pin 46 as to move the lever 40 to a position where the projection 43 will be in the path of the pin' 44. The shoulder 57 formed on the lever 26 will thereafter so engage the pin 46 as to prevent further downward movement of the lever 26 before the latter has moved to a position such as to cause the running of the signaling train to be arrested.

It may be noted. that, in a circuit such as that of Fig. 2, when the switch B is positioned as indicated by solid linesv and signal mechanism of a given station, such as that of Fig. 1, is causing signal formulation in such be controlled by either the magnet C" or the magnet 0, depending upon the relationship of the mechanisms to one and the other of said magnets. Thus, for example, if the mechanism-first set in motion is situated between the magnet C and the mechanism subsequently set in motion, such device as is arranged for response to said magnet C will manifest the complete code signal of the station first setin'finotion. The current ath for said manifestation is from one si e of battery A through magnet G, conductor 116, then ce through conductor 1-14, magnet 106, conductor 109, signaling contacts 49, 48, ground contact 7 5 and conductor 175 of 'said station, and thence through round to the other side of battery A. Suc device as is responsive to the magnet C" will manifest as much of thesame signal -as is formulated before the mechanism of the second station is set in motion, the current path for such manifestation'being from one side of battery A through magnet C, conductor 117 to shunt contacts 51, 52 of said second mentioned station, thence through conductor- 118 and terminal post 112 to conductor114, magnet 106, conductor 109, signaling contact 49, ground contact 75 and conductor 175 of said first mentioned station, and thence through ground to the other side of battery A. Following the manifestation of the signal at thesaid firststation, the device responsive to the magnet C will manifest the full and complete signal of such second station, the

current path for such manifestation being from one side of the battery A through the magnet C", conductor 117, conductor 111,

currentl in action, as just described, and

if one 0 said mechanisms is at one side. and

the other at the opposite side of such break,

the signal will be manifested by the devices responsive to the magnets C and C" respectively. Under such conditions the current path for the manifestation of the signalfrom thafirst of such stations is from one side of the battery A through the magnet C', conductor 116; thence through conductor 114, magnet 106, conductor 109, signaling contacts 49, 48, groundcontact 75 and conductor 175 of said first station, and thence through ground to the other side of battery A. The current path for the manifestation of the signal from the other of said stations is from the opposite side of said battery A through magnet C", conductor 117 thence through conductor 111, magnet 105, conductor 107, signaling contact 48, ground contact 7 5 and conductor 175 of said other of said stations, and thence through ground to the other side of said battery A. If both of such mechanisms are situated at one side of the point where the circuit is ruptured, and if the mechanism of the station furthest from the break is first set in motion, nomutilation or overlapping of signals will result from subsequently setting in motion mechanisms from other stations situated in the circuit between such first operated'station and the break, because the-current path from any such other station is interrupted on one side b said break and on the other side by the signaling contacts 428 and 49 of said first operated station. But it the mechanismds set in motion at a station which is situated in the circuit between a previously operated station and the receiving magnet responsive thereto, while the switch B is positioned as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the signal of such first operated station will be cutoff pending the formulation of the signal of such subsequently operated station because the current path from said first operated station willbe interrupted by the signaling contacts ,48 and 49 of such subsequently operated station. In like manner, it may be observed that, when the switch B of Fig. 2 is normally positioned,

(as indicated by the dotted lines) and the formulation of the signal of any one station having mechanism such as that of Fig. 1 is in progress, it similar mechanism situated at each side thereof in the circuit is set in motion,-the transmitting mechanisms of each of such other stations will apply its ground and thus temporarily prevent the mechanism of the station first set in motion from effectively breakin the circuit. Thereupon, the armature 42 o the station first set in motion would drop away from its magnet, and a determination would be made by the non-interference mechanism of the remaining two active stations, in a manner which is well understood by those skilled in this art, as to which of such transmitters should proceed with its signal.

Inasmuch as the conditions under which signal mutilation may. occur when using transmitting mechanisms such as that of Fig. 1, as just referred to, may, in certain signaling systems, be considered to be so unlikely of occurrence as to be negligible, the mechanism illustratively shown in Fig. 1 maybe employed in some such systems notwithstanding the opportunities for interference thereby afforded; but it should be understood that this particular form oi mechanism was selected for use in illustrating this invention, notwithstanding such more or less remote possibilities of interference, because this mechanism is much more simple and readily understood, and therefore susceptible of illustration by means of fewer drawings and explanation by a'less extended description than would be necessary had some other prior art form of signaling mechanism been shown with this invention applied thereto, and it is believed that, in view of the foregoing detailed description, the manner of applying this invention to other prior art signaling mechanisms will be apparent to those skilled in this art.

Since many matters of combination, arrangement structure, design and detail may be modified without departing from the underlying principles, and various features 0i this invention may be advanta eously em ployed without the utilization 0% all of such features, it should be understood that the invention is not restricted to such features except so far as specified in the appended claims, and that the language used in said claims is intended to cover all of the generic and s ecific features of the invention herein descri ed and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. In a signal transmitter, a signaling train, a member for conditioning said train for operation, a code-wheel operable by said train, a circuit controller operable by saidcode-wheel to open and close a current path therethrough, an electromagnet having three cores and two windings for respective ones of said vcores, said circuit controller being included between said windings, the third.

of said cores being so related to said two cores as toprovide a path for lines of magnetic force from either of said windings, an armature arranged for cooperation with all three of saidcores and pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the effective range of the attraction of said cores, means for holding said armature against movement-out of such effective range during conditioning of said circuit controller to open the current path therethrough and for'holding said controller against opening suc'h path when said armature is out of such effective range, a contact movable to either of two positions for grounding said circuit controller upon each operation thereof by said code-wheel only when said contact 18 in one of its said positions, and means for governing the positioning of said contact.

2. In a signal transmitter, a signaling train, a detent member for'said train, an

electromagnet having three cores and two windings for respect ve ones of said cores,

of magnetic force for eitherof said windings, a circuit controller operable .by said train and connnected between said ,windings, non-interference mechanism responsive to said electromagnet for governing the effectiveness of the. actuation of said circuit controller by said train, a contact for, grounding saidcircuit controller upon each operation thereof by said train only during predetermined conditioning of said contact, and means responsive to said detentmember and tosaid non-interference mechanism for at times avoiding such conditioning of said contact. I

3. In a signal transmitter, an electromagnet having three cores and two windings carried by respective ones of two of said cores, the third of said cores being so related to said two cores as to provide a path for lines of magnetic force from either of said windings, non-interference mechanism comprising an armature cooperating with all of said cores, a circuit controller connected between said windings, and a ground branch contact for cooperation with said circuit controller. I

4; A signal transmitter having a normally closed metallic circuit current path and a normally open ground branch in combination with non-interference mechanism comprising an electromagnet having a plurality of windings, a circuit controller governed by said magnet and having means for breaking said'normally closed path and for closing said path in conjunction with said branch, said circuit controller being located between said windings, and said electromagnet having provision for effective energiza-' tion thereof from current flow either serially through said windings and said normally-- closed path or in parallel through said windings and said normally open ground branch, irrespective of the relative directions of current flow through such windings.

5. In a signal transmitter, a signaling train, a circuit controller comprising three contacts operable by said train for alternately closing and breaking the electrical connection therebetween, non-interference mechanism for governing the effectiveness of operation of said contacts by said train and comprising an electromagnet having three cores and two windings for respective ones of two of said cores, the third core being so related to said two cores as to provide a path for lines of magnetic force from either of said windings, said windings being so connected to rgspective ones of two of said circuit controller contacts whereby they are efiectively'energized upon currentflow either serially through said windings and said two contacts or in parallel throu h said two windings and the third of said contacts.

6. In a signal transmitter, non-interference mechanism comprising an electromagnet having two windlngs, 'a circuit controller located between said windings for governing the connection therebetween and for establishing a ground connection therewith,

and provision for rendering the resultant magnetlsm of said windings substantially equivalent in efiectiveness in the control of said mechanism for difl'erent relative directions of current flow in said windings.

8. In a signal transmitter, an electromagnet having two windings, said magnet including means whereby current flow through said windings may serve to cause either usual two pole or anomalous three pole magnetization thereof, dependent upon the relative directions of flow in said windings, and non-interference mechanism arranged for response to either such two pole or three pole energization of said magnet.

' 9. A signal transmitting apparatus having a detent member for controlling the operation thereof, a codewheel and a signalmg contact operable thereby in combination with a grounding contact movableinto or out of theoperative pathof said signaling contact, an electromagnet, an armature pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the efl'ectiverange of the attraction of said magnet, means for holding, said armature against movement out of effective range during the conditioning of said circuit controller to open the current path therethrough and for holding said controller against opening such path when said armature is out of such effective range, a controlling lever'for said grounding contact, one end of said lever being so disposed in the path of movement of said grounding contact into the path of said circuit controller contact cooperating therewith.

10. A signal transmitting apparatus having a signaling train, a member for conditioning said train for operation, a codewheel operable by said train, a circuit controller operable by said code wheel to open or close a current path therethrough, an electromagnet, an armature pivotally mounted for movement into and out of the eife c-.

tive range of the attraction of said magnet, means for holding said armature against movement out of such effective range during the conditioning of such circuit controller to open the current path therethrough and for holding said controller against opening such path when said armature is .out of such effective range, a grounding contact with which said circuit controller may functionally cooperate, a lever movable for governing said functional cooperation, one end of said lever being so disposed in the path of a part moving with said conditioning member that normal positioning of the latter will prevent such functional cooperation, and the other end of said lever so cooperating with the Y part moving with said armature as to permit said functional cooperation only when said armature is disposed within the effective range of said magnet.

11. A signal transmitting apparatus having a detent member controlling the operation thereof, a code-wheel and a signaling contact operable in a predetermined path thereby, in combination with a ground contact movable into or out of such path of said signaling contact, and controlling means for said grounding contact disposed in the path of a part moving with said detent member so as to permit movement of said grounding contact into such path of said signaling contact only while said detent member is inetfectively positioned.

12. In a signal transmitter, a signaling train, a member for conditioning said train for operation, non-interference mechanism comprising two electromagnet windings, a circuit controller operable by said train and conrlected between said windings, a ground branch contact movable into and out of cooperative relation with said circuit' controller, means urging movement of said contact into cooperative relationship with said controller, and means subject to joint control by said member and said non-interference mechanism for holding said contact out of such cooperative relationship.

13. In a signal transmitter, a signaling train, a member for conditioning said train for operation, a code wheel operable by said train, a circuit controller operable by said code wheel, non-interference mechanism comprising two electromagnet windings be tween which said controller is connected, a grounding contact with which said controller .may functionally cooperate, and means. for governing such functional cooperation, said means being positionally so related to said member and said non-interference mechanism as to be subject to the joint control thereof.

14. Signal transmitting apparatus having a main line signaling contact and a code wheel for imparting cycles of movement to said contact in a predetermined path, in combination with a grounding contact movable both in and out of said path, means urging movement of said grounding contact in said path toward said main line contact, and means for suitably limiting such movement and for at times causing movement of said grounding contact out of the path of said main line contact.

15. Signal-transmitting apparatus having a member for controlling the operation thereof, a code wheel, a signaling contact operable in a predetermined path thereby,

and non-interference mechanism; in combination with a grounding contact movable into or out of. such path of said signaling contact, and controlling means for said grounding contact so governed by engagement with a part connected to said member and by said non-interference mechanism that said grounding. contact will be moved into such path of said signaling contact only while said member 'is ineifectively positioned and said non-interference mechanism is conditioned to permit signal formulation.

16. Signal transmitting apparatus having a member for controlling the operationthereof, a code wheel, and a signahng con-.

tact operable -in a predetermined path thereby; in combination with a grounding contact movable into or out of such path of said signaling contact, and controlling means for said grounding contact so governed by engagement with a part connected to said member as to permit movement of said grounding contact into such path of said signaling contact only while sald member is ineffectively positioned.

17 Signal transmitting apparatus havinga member for. controlling the operation thereof, a. code wheel and a signaling con- .tact operable in a predetermined path thereby; in combination with a grounding contact movable into or out of such path, said grounding contact having governing means positionally so associated with said member that such movement of said contact may be governed thereby.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, this third day of September, 1924.

NATHAN H. SUREN. 

